


If the wine be sweet I will drink it with him (and if it be bitter I will drink it with him also)

by vivahate



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dorks in Love, Fluff, Future Fic, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-War, they talk about the past and the future and it's emotional but they're also very much in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 00:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13799184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivahate/pseuds/vivahate
Summary: “I didn’t think I’d ever have this.”





	If the wine be sweet I will drink it with him (and if it be bitter I will drink it with him also)

“I didn’t think I’d ever have this.”

 

The harsh lights and loud noises of the common room are replaced by the soothing darkness of the observatory, illuminated only by the natural glow of the stars outside. Even from here the sounds of their friends’ celebration can be heard still, the muted sound of their laughter and joy making the atmosphere pleasant but deceptively ordinary. The fancy attires they’d worn for the occasion are thrown haphazardly aside, and the smell of strong alien beverages and _victory_ are replaced by the familiarity of each other’s presence and the secluded room, so rarely visited by anyone else. They’re settled on the floor, on a pile of pillows and blankets they’d had stacked nearby, exhausted but together. Lance has an arm wrapped around Keith in a loose embrace, his chin propped on his knee, a happy smile playing on his lips.

 

The soft declaration pulls Lance out of his thoughts, content as he would’ve been to continue looking wistfully at Keith, “Huh?”

 

Keith frowns and says nothing. The troubled expression on his face enough to make Lance sober up and sit up from his lazy sprawl.

 

He seems weary, and is leaning away from Lance slightly to toy in a listless manner with the edge of a blanket.

 

Lance sighs, scooting closer so he can skim gentle fingers down the side of Keith’s face and bump their foreheads together lightly. “Keith.” He whispers, doing his best to channel as much affection and acceptance into his voice as possible. Just a few months ago he’d not have tried to course an answer out of Keith, electing instead to give him some space to overcome whatever’s bothering him on his own. Now, he knows exactly when he’s more than welcome to lend a helping hand and what means he can use to have the desired effect on his boyfriend. “Talk to me.”

 

“Fine. Okay.” Keith gives in, the barest hint of a smile passing over his lips as he shoves at Lance lightly so he can turn and face him properly. Lance grins triumphantly, catching Keith’s hand midair to plant a loud exaggerated kiss on the back of it and then lace their fingers together.

 

Keith looks at him hesitantly for a moment before saying, “This morning when you said we can all finally make plans for the future…Well it got me thinking.”

 

Lance hums, momentarily distracted by Keith tracing the length of Lance’s fingers with the errant touch of his own. The truth is, he didn’t think Keith would remember him saying that, so busy with preparations and meetings they’ve been and _really_ one’d think there’d be less work once they’d won the war. But evidently Keith’d remembered and it’s apparently been eating up at him over the course of the whole day if his current uneasiness is any indication. Lance has to take a deep breath as the realization stings right through him. He should’ve noticed that it’s been bothering Keith. Should’ve talked to him as soon as he’d brought up the subject. Should’ve assured him that whatever path Keith chose from here, be it to search for his family or travel through space, Lance’ll be right there with him -

 

“Back on Earth, I thought flying would be enough.” Keith says suddenly, his fingertips halting against Lance’s skin. “The freedom it would give me was all that mattered and I wanted to be in space more than anything else. I thought if I became good at it, my life would have some purpose. And it did and I got into the Garrison and met Shiro and for a time it was enough.” Keith looks up at him with a small smile. “But now it isn’t. All that time I’d been alone, until I met you. All of you guys. And we’ve been to so many planets and seen so many stars but I can’t even remember all of them. And I’m _fine_ with that.”

 

“And we’ve been through so much together, but I didn’t realize what I could’ve lost until it was almost too late. It had to be another close call with the Blades involved and Lotor’s betrayal for it to sink in apparently.” Keith takes a moment to breathe deeply and then he’s looking at Lance with so much tenderness, he feels his face grow hot. “Because then you were there. And you were _amazing_.”

 

Lance blinks before the words register in his brain and he groans in embarrassment, hiding his face in his hands. “It was the adrenaline high! I still can’t look Kolivan in the eye after everything I said that day…”

 

“And handsome.” 

 

“Very sweaty. And gross. Did you forget the part where we had to fight off Lotor _and_ Shiro’s clone?”

 

“But handsome.” Keith insists, heartbreakingly genuine, adoration written all over his face, and Lance isn’t some kind of monster who’ll continue disagreeing after this. There’s a strange vulnerability in Keith’s voice as it breaks slightly around the words that makes Lance want to wrap Keith up in his arms and hide him under the blankets in this room forever if the latter’d let him. Likely not, but at the moment the idea seems compelling. Still, he doesn’t interrupt anymore as Keith goes on.

 

“You grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the Blades’ ship, all the while cursing a storm at me for risking my life, and you made it all different for me that day.” Keith leans towards him, eyes meeting Lance’s at last, and his voice comes out choked as he says, “You reminded me why I needed to live. I hope you know that.”

 

Lance lets out a quiet sigh at the painful reminder of what they’d been through: there’s something devastating and bittersweet about Keith recalling all of this now that everything’s in the past, and all he can do is rub his hand in soothing circles across Keith’s back and tighten his hold on their entwined fingers. It seems to do the job as Keith aims a faint but grateful smile his way.

 

“But afterwards with everything that happened with Shiro and Lotor... I was so scared.” Keith continues, “I didn’t know what to do, with Shiro missing I didn’t know how to cope. And even later when things went back to normal somewhat and you took over Black and we – us - um well.” Keith ducks his head slightly, and if the circumstances were different Lance’d have cooed at how adorably embarrassed Keith still gets when mentioning their relationship. “I didn’t think something as amazing as that could happen to me. I – I felt like I’d done nothing to deserve it.”

 

Everything in Lance freezes upon hearing the admission and when Keith lifts his head to meet his gaze head on again, the edges of his mouth tremble slightly and Lance’s heart _breaks_ at the sight.

 

“Keith.” he says, pained, reaching up to brush dark hair out of Keith’s eyes. He’d had no idea Keith’d felt that way. Had he known he’d have done more to reassure him of his feelings. He’d have done everything in his power for Keith to never have a reason to feel that way.

 

“I know. I know that now Lance. But back then I was just… scared.” Keith murmurs, leaning against Lance’s hand, the touch equally comforting to Lance as well. “Because I’d never thought you’d want me, and I was fine with that, but then you did and I started _needing_ you. I needed to be near you so much, I couldn’t think straight until I saw you again.” Keith breaks off, clenching his eyes shut tightly minutely before snapping them open, meeting Lance’s boldly. “And today when you were talking about the future and I know you want to go back home, just…Whatever you decide to do next, would you mind terribly if I came along?”

 

 _“Keith.”_ Lance gasps lowly, and the single word sounds like it’s been punched out of him.

 

There’s nothing Lance can say now to have made it easier for Keith because he’s obviously been stressing himself out over this the whole day, and he feels a painful pang in his chest when he can’t even seem to catch Keith’s skittish gaze -not a trace left of his previous boldness.

 

Yes, there is nothing he can do to make it better. But he can hold on tight to what they have, and never let go for as long as he can help it.

“I guess it’s all backwards since _I_ was going to ask you to let me follow you in whatever crazy space adventure you had planned next, but,” Lance smiles, reaching to tilt Keith’s chin up. “I never want you to have any doubts about this.”

 

“Uh?” is Keith’s intelligent reply and Lance would’ve otherwise laughed at the bewildered look on his face if he didn’t feel like keeling over with nerves at the moment.

 

But he needs to say it. For Keith’s and both of their sakes. So he takes a deep breath and doesn’t turn as red as he usually does when he’s in Keith’s presence. He masters up all the courage his time being the head of Voltron has given him. He doesn’t run the way he did when Keith first kissed him on the cheek moments after Lance’d finished barking out orders to the team. For it’s different now. The war is over and the future is hopeful and promising.

 

And it is with this fresh determination he reaches forward and cups Keith’s face in his hands, startling a surprised noise out of him.

 

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Lance says and watches Keith’s eyes go incredibly wide in response. Keith makes quite the lovely sight: his cheeks squished slightly in Lance’s hold, lips parted and eyes dim with wonder, and Lance wants to kiss him so badly, but he knows he must find his words first, so that Keith and him are finally on the same page.

 

“You mean the world to me, Keith. And I – I feel the same way about you. When you were about to go back with the blades I was so angry. At you for pushing me away, at myself for nearly letting you go again without realizing how you felt. I was losing my mind with worry.

 

“And now you’re here asking to come back home with me as if I’d ever thought for even a second to part with you, now that I’ve finally got you with me. As if I’d be okay with being so far away from you.” Lance leans forward slightly to press their foreheads together, not missing the way Keith’s shaking against him. “I love you. You hear me? You’d have to forcibly eject me onto another galaxy to make me leave you. And even then I’d find a way to come back to you.”

 

For a moment Keith just stares, still trembling lightly. Lance smiles at him softly, encouragingly, still feeling dazed with the weight of what he’s just said, but his smile falls immediately when he sees tears rolling down Keith’s cheek. Keith’s next breath comes out too much like a sob and Lance hurries to gather him in his arms as he buries his face in Lance’s neck.

 

“Oh no. No no. Keith. C’mon don’t cry.” Lance pleads, his own voice quivering as he does his best to comfort his boyfriend. “Don’t cry sweetheart, you’re gonna make me cry too.” His voice breaks at the end and he curses himself at his inability to control his emotions. Someone has to be strong enough to pull them through this, damn it!

 

Eventually Keith pulls back a little to look at Lance with shining eyes, “Lance, I –“

 

“It’s okay you don’t have to say anything, I don’t –“

 

“I love you!” Keith insists, face growing impossibly redder, a stark juxtaposition with his dark shining eyes, and the ardent gaze aimed Lance’s way. Lance forgets how to breathe. “I love you _so_ much. I never want to be away from you either.”

 

And Lance smiles, brilliant and wide, his heart swelling with happiness and relief.

 

“I know, Keith.” He says, tugging the other back into his arms. “You didn’t have to say it, you know. I could tell. But still. I love you too.”

 

The silence sits between them, comfortable and soothing, until Keith seems to remember something.

 

“Would you have seriously stayed in space if that’d been what I wanted instead of going back to your family right away?”

 

“Yeah.” Lance says, not louder than a whisper, not willing to let go of the cozy atmosphere quite yet. He pulls back only a little to press feather light kisses across Keith’s face, to his cheek, his nose, the corner of his mouth. They’re both drained after that emotional whirlwind of a conversation, but they’ve also found contentment and understanding and security.

 

Keith raises an incredulous eyebrow at him. “Then I hope you know I wouldn’t have let you do something so stupid.”

 

“Mmhmm.” Lance hums agreeably, feeling too light with happiness and relief to argue or continue to speculate how he’d have acted in that particular hypothetical situation. He brings up a hand to wipe away some of the tears from Keith’s face, the pads of his fingers a reverent trace against the other’s skin. “I wouldn’t have staid away from you for too long then either. I’d have figured something out. You know me.”

 

Keith lets out a shaky laugh at that and pulls away minutely to drag his sleeve across his wet face. And the gesture shouldn’t be so endearing, it should be at least a little gross actually, but as Lance finally has the chance to properly look at Keith, his face red and splotchy and lips shaping a brilliant grin, Lance’s heart flutters in his chest, and all coherent thought escapes his mind as he thinks _I’d do anything for that smile._

 

Keith startles him by letting out a genuine peal of laughter and moving back into his space.

 

“Really?” Keith asks lowly, hands coming up to wrap around Lance's neck, his fingers playing idly with Lance's tresses. “Anything?”

 

_Oh. I must’ve said it out loud._

 

“Yeah, you did.” Keith’s eyes are sparkling with mischief now and the shy smile has been replaced with a teasing smirk. He forgets how _evil_ his boyfriend gets sometimes.

 

“Yeah.” Lance says helplessly. “Anything. Happy is a good look on you.”

 

Keith’s face softens into a positively besotted look at that and Lance can hardly cope with being on the receiving end of so much affection. How is it possible that even after all that time together, one look from Keith can send his weak heart into doing somersaults in his chest.

 

“Well, that’s easy.” Keith’s quiet voice wrings him back to reality. There’s a warm hand clasping his own and he can feel Keith’s breath on his face with how close they’ve gotten. “I’m happiest when I’m with you. So all you have to do is be yourself.”

 

“I think I can manage that.“ Lance murmurs, not daring to raise his voice louder, lest the moment evaporates like a dream. Keith’s eyes follow his each movement, gaze heavy with emotion, and Lance lets his own eyes fall to a half mast as he leans down to close the remaining space between them.

 

And as they stay locked in each other’s embrace, as the wandering stars around them stain their forms with silver, they’re no longer afraid of the future.

**Author's Note:**

> it's past midnight rn and i wish i had more energy to skim over it but i dont so here it is !!!
> 
> as s5 nears i get more emotional thinking about these two and ultimately?? they shouldn't be separated. peace .


End file.
